This invention relates generally to firearms and more particularly, to muzzle loading firearms with an improved ignition system.
Hunting with muzzle loading firearms has become increasingly popular. Reasons for this popularity include the enjoyment of manually loading the powder and projectile into the muzzle, and then packing it with the ramrod. As evidence of the increasing popularity of muzzle loading firearms, some states have separate hunting seasons for sportsmen with muzzle loading firearms. Despite their increased popularity, muzzle loading firearms have presented several problems to those that use them. The most important problem associated with previous muzzle loading firearms relates to the accuracy of the weapon, a paramount concern to the user. The accuracy of a weapon is inversely related to, inter alia, the lock time of the weapon. Lock time is measured from the time the trigger is squeezed until the powder charge launching the projectile actually fires. Even minute delays in the lock time cause inaccuracies due to the difficulty of holding the weapon still over increased periods of time. Thus, developments that tend to decrease lock time increase the functionality of the weapon by increasing the weapon's accuracy.
In response to the problem of accuracy, muzzle loading firearms have been modified over the years. In the original flintlock muzzle-loading rifles, the flint was mounted on a traditional swing hammer, which, when released by the trigger, struck a frizzen, producing a spark which ignited the primer charge in a pan. The detonation of the primer charge was carried though a flash hole to the main charge in the barrel, causing the powder which was loaded through the muzzle to explode, thereby propelling the projectile. Later developments involved the replacement of the pan with a self contained primer charge or percussion cap, which was struck directly by the hammer, and the resulting detonation charge was similarly carried to the main charge in the barrel.
Mechanisms previously used for initiating such impact sensitive primer charges involved a spring loaded hammer or firing pin which was positioned on either the top or side of the firearm. More recently, in-line muzzle-loading rifles were developed, in which an impact sensitive primer or percussion cap, connected to the barrel by a flash hole, is detonated by an in-line striker. Such strikers are drawn back manually, as illustrated, for example, in Mahn et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,408,776.
Despite the advances that have been made over the decades, a continuing need exists for a cocking and firing mechanism for muzzle loading firearms that provides a combination of ease of cocking with minimization of the lock time of the firearm upon firing.